Christians Fight ISIS in Iraq (a translation from an Arabic article)

Raseef22 ^ | January 11, 2016 | Mustafa Saadoun

[Ulmius]

"We bear a big responsibility, and if we succeed in it, then Iraq will become well. Our fighters work side-by-side with the Muslims, who grant us double the force we had without them," said Iraqi Christian David Boulos, who fights in the ranks of the Babylonian Brigades, which are under the authority of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (the PMF, an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization composed of some 40, almost exclusively Shiite, militias).

Boulos intended to emigrate from Iraq after his displacement from Mosul on 10 June 2014; however, he reversed his decision and decided to remain for a time in Iraqi Kurdistan. After that, he joined the Babylonian Brigades in order to fight ISIS.

This 28 year old young man was not the only one who joined this faction; indeed, dozens of Christian men did so as well. These people, who are known for their peacefulness, their civility, their friendliness, and their unacquaintance with weapons and battle, have decided neither to leave their terrorist-controlled countries nor to migrate, for that matter.

The Christians Decided to Fight

The Christians in Iraq were exposed to several forms of violence after 2003. In 2006 and 2007 (during the period of sectarian infighting), families living under the rule of al-Qaeda and extremist militias were subjected to killings and forced migration. A number of churches were also blown up in Baghdad and Mosul, the most prominent of these being the Church of Sayidat al-Nejat (Our Lady of Salvation) in Baghdad, which was targeted by al-Qaeda suicide bombers in 2010.

After the emergence of ISIS, its subsequent growth into Iraq, and the formation of the PMF in 13 June 2014, several Christian fighters joined the PMF, which is in turn under the authority of the Iraqi Council of Ministers; they were designated as the "Babylonian Brigades". Currently, they consist of an estimated 800 fighters.

The General Secretary of the Babylonian Brigades Sheikh Riyan al-Kaldani told Raseef22: "These Christian youth that have joined the ranks of the PMF against ISIS have one goal: the liberation of Iraq from terrorism and the revival of areas that became overgrown in the pall of al-Baghdadi's forces." He added: "The Babylonian Brigades fight on several fronts: Salah ad-Din, al-Anbar, and everywhere the PMF fights. We believe that our cause is a national cause, not a religious, sectarian, or factional one."

Homelands are Defended by None Except Their Sons

Umm Townee lives in Kirkuk, in northern Iraq, with her family, made up of her husband, two girls, and her son Townee, who fights in the PMF. Seeing her son going to war now resembles the days when she sent her husband off to the Iran-Iraq War in the '80s.

She told Raseef22: "I believe that it is not possible for anyone to defend nations except for their own sons. Therefore, I couldn't find a reason to refuse my son to fight, despite the great danger posed to him. It is his duty and all of our duty to stand against those who wish to terminate the vitality of our nation."

The Christians, whose numbers have been reduced in Iraq after 2003 (from 1.2 million then to 300,000 now), are attempting to remain in Iraq and stay in the national fabric. "This nation is for the Christians; there is no other place for them. Even those that left were forced to go, and they shall return," said Riyan al-Kaldani.

Leaders in the PMF, as well as their spokesperson MP Ahmed al-Assadi, praise the presence of Christian fighters in the PMF, who consider the Christians "an indivisible part of Iraq". "Christian fighters fight in one trench alongside their Muslim brothers against the extremist gangs and the criminals; they play a positive role as steadfast fighters in confronting terrorist attacks and liberating the cities," said al-Assadi.

al-Assadi recognized that "the presence of Christian fighters in the PMF is an auspicious and prominent sign confirming that this demographic is still clinging to both its national identity and its homeland, far from the selling-out and the misconduct of others in order to drive Iraq out of their 'nations' [most likely referring to the Kurds, who try to remain autonomous from Iraq]."

The depiction that these Christian fighters on the front paint breaks the rigid understanding of the existence of merely one denomination out of all the peoples of Iraq defending its territory and re-depicts the nation according its known ethnic mosaic.

Umm Townee always raises the cross to the sky and sees her son off with this supplication: "O Mary, be with him always". According to her, it forms a charm that defends him from from harm. "My mother is not the only one that prays for me; all Iraqi mothers do, for all of us on the line. I fight on one front with my friends and my Muslim brothers. We forget all our particular affiliations there, and we adhere to our national identity."

[Ulmius]

For other good pieces about Iraqi Christians in English, I would suggest visiting http://www.aina.org/ if you have not already.

[Mrs. Don-o]

May God protect the Chaldean Christians.